Piano accordion



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mwwm0000m 00000 win 0000* 000000 C. E. BARBER PIANO ACCORDION Filed Sept. 25, 1936 000000 0000 NW; 0000 0 0 0 0 0 000000\ 4,. E

1 110% mm Q 0 May 24, 1938.

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PIANO ACCORDION Filed Sept. 25, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1938- c. E. BARBER 2,118,545

PIANO ACCORDION Filed Sept. 25, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J z 5 k9 y 4, 1938. c. E. BARBER 2,118,545

PIANO ACCORDION Filed Sept. 25, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIANO ACCORDION Application September 25, 1936, Serial No. 102,566

4 Claims.

This invention relates to piano accordions and more particularly to means for actuating the apertured slides which control the passage of air through the reed holders and thereby render operative or inoperative one or more sets of reeds in the bass mechanism.

Piano accordions of the character herein shown and described usually comprise five sets of reed holders in the bass mechanism, the sets of reeds being tuned to produce, respectively, (1) the lowest bass single tones, (2) intermediate bass single tones, (3) intermediate bass single and low harmony or accompaniment tones, (4) intermediate bass single and intermediate harl5 mony tones, and (5) the highest bass single and harmony tones. Heretofore, slide members have been. provided for rendering operative or inoperative only the two rows of reeds which are tuned for the lowest single bass tones and the intermediate bass single and low harmony tones, res ectively. These slide members were operated simultaneously by actuating a single switch.

The main object of this invention is to provide additional switch mechanism and means for actuating, simultaneously or separately, two or more or the slide members which control the operativeness of the reeds in the bass mechanism. Another object is to provide actuating means for the purpose stated which are easily operable and conveniently located adjacent the bass key board.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the bass mechanism housing and button board.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bass mechanism, with the reed holders, bellows and bellows frame removed, showing the apertured slide members which control the passage of air through the reeds in the open position, i. e. with the apertures in register with the valve covered openings 40 9 wall beneath the reeds.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bass mechanism shown in Fig. 2, showing the apertured slide nb-ers which control the passage of air through h reeds in the closed position, i. e. with the :5 s 'tures not in register with the valve covered openings in the wall beneath the reeds.

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of the bass mechanism, taken in the plane of the line 4 -4 of Fig. 2, but including the bellows and reed holders.

In that embodiment of the invention which I have chosen to illustrate in the drawings, the bass mechanism housing is indicated at H! and the bellows at H. The keyboard is provided with buttons 12 which actuate valves, not shown,

cated below openings in the partition l3 beneath the reed holders l4, l5, i5, i1 and 18. The reeds of said holders M, l5, l5, H and H! are tuned to provide the tones heretofore described and designated 2, i, 3, and 5, respectively. The partition 13 is preferably made in three layers, the upper layer IS being made of leather and the intermediate and lower layers of metal. The rows of apertures which communicate with the reed holders 14, I5, 55, i! and 58 are indicated at 2|, 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the rows of apertures 22, 23 and 25 are opened or closed by apertured slide members 26, 2'! and 28, respectively, mounted in the parts 24} of the partition 13. The apertures in the slide members 26, 2! and 28 are shown in register with the apertures 22, 23 and 25, respectively, in Fig. 2, thus rendering all the reeds operative. They are shown not in register in Fig. 3, whereby the reeds l5, l5 and 18 are rendered inoperative. The apertures H and 24 which communicate with the reed holders l4 and ii, respectively, in this embodiment, are not intended to be closed by slide members, as will be explained more fully hereinafter.

The means for actuating the slide members 26, 2'! and 23 will now be described. A hinged switch comprising an elongated plate 29 is hinged at its upper edge to the housing iii at 33, and has an inclined portion 3| in its lower portion which extends into the housing 15 through an elongated opening in the housing behind said switch plate 29-31. The switch plate 29 extends lengthwise between the bellows H and button board i2 and is accessible to the player at all times. The inwardly directed portion 3i of the hinge switch is pivotally connected at 32 to a rod 33, which extends transversely of the housing 10, and at its other end is connected to a slidably mounted plate 34. Said plate 34 an upwardly directed pin which extends through a slot 36 in the wall 37 and engages the forked end of a lever pivotaliy mounted at 39 on a support 40. A coiled spring is connected to the lever 38 and wall 3?. The other forked end of the lever 38 engages a pin 42 on a slidably mounted plate 45 on which is pivotally mounted an inverted U-shaped member, the arms 44, 45 of which alternatively engage the arms 46, 41 of a lever 48 pivotally mounted on a support at 49. The lever 48 pivotally connected at 50 by a link 5| to a lever 52. The lever 52 is pivotally con nected at 53 to a support and at 54 to a double slide engaging member 55 having arms which engage the slides 26 and 2'! as indicated at 56 and 5'5, respectively. The Ushaped member 44 do is mounted on the plate 43 by a screw 58 which also retains in place spring 59 which engages a pin on the slidable plate 43, whereby the arms 44 and 45 of the U-shaped member are normally centered. a spring secured at 62 to the housin iii and bears on the pin 63 on the lever to aid retaining it in place.

When the hinged switch plate 29 is pressed inwardly, the rod is moved transversely of the housing iii, and the plate 3% moves with it. The pin on the plate 3 engaging one end of the lever causes said lever to move about the pivotal connection against the contractile tendency of the spring ll. The pivotal movement of the lever 33 imparts a sliding movement to the plate carrying the arms M and 35. Assuming the apertured slide members and 2t" to be in the open position shown in Fig. 2, the arm will contact with the arm ll on the lever 48 when sliding movement is imparted to the plate as just explained, and will cause the lever 53 and A and to move about the aivotal connection actuating the link 5i, lever 52 and slide engaging member 55, thus moving the apertured slide members 25 and 2! to closed position all the parts between said slide menu-- bers and iii and the pivoted lever '38 to the position shown in Fig. The switch plate 2s is released by the player after being pressed in wardly described, and upon such release the rod 33 and all parts between said rod and the plate carrying the arms id and return under influence of the spring ll to the positions shown in both and 3, which the positions of these parts at all times excepting when the switch 253 is being manually actuated. However, the lever and the parts actuated by it are not afiected by this return movement of the rod associated parts and said lever 8 and slide members and El remain in closed position (Fig. 3) until the switch plate is again actuated, whereupon the arm dd engages the ar causing the lever 2-8 to move on its pivot and all the parts between said lever 13 and slide members 26 and El to move to the open position shown in Fig. 2.

A push switch or-tuates the slide member 28. Said switch comprises a bar or plate 6 1 rigidly connected to two push rods which extend through apertures 62 in the hinged switch plate 29 into be sleeves 58 the housing l8. The push rod ipivotally connected at Gil with a lever id pivotally mounted at ii on a support. The other end of the lever it is pivotally connected at E2 to a lever 83 pivotally mounted at on support. Said lever i3 is slotted at H for the reception of the pin it? on the push rod The other end of the lever i3 is pivotally connected at 'rll' to a slidable plate "l9 which is similar in construction to the plate heretofore described. The plate l2 carries a pivotally mounted inverted U-shaped member having arms which alternatively contact with arms 85, t of a lever pivotally mounted at on a The lever is pivotally connected at Said lever "i is pivmounted at r 3 on a support and is pivotally by link to a lever ll". otall 95 to the housing ii) and bears on the pin 96 on the lever Bl to aid in retaining it in place. A spring 91 connected to the lever l5 and a fixed part such as the partition l3 or wall 31, retains the levers ill and 13 in the normal positions shown in the drawings.

When the push switch 64 is pressed inwardly, the levers ill and 73 are moved about the pivots ii and M, respectively, and the ends pivotally connected at l2 are moved toward the adjacent housing wall l9. This action causes the lever 13, through the pivotal connection 11, to impart sliding movement to the plate 18 and arms 19, 80. If the apertured slide member 28 is then in the open position of Fig. 2, the actuation of the switch 64 will cause the arm 19 to contact with the arm of the lever 83, moving said lever about the pivot 84, and causing the parts 86, Si, 9% and 23 to assume the closed position shown in Fig. 3. After the parts have assumed the position of Fig. 3, the next manipulation of the switch t l causes the arm 82 of the lever 83 to contact the arm 8% and to move the slide 28 to the open position.

As soon as the switch 64 is released, the parts between said levers l l3, and the arms 19 and 89 resume the normal position shown in both Figs. 2 and 3, but the lever 83 and slide 28 and parts between them remain in either the open or closed position, resulting from the last manipd ulation of the switch, until the switch 64 is again manipulated.

The switches 2d and 64 are independently operable but may be actuated simultaneously or successively to move the apertured slide members 26, 2! and 28 to either open or closed positions, or to move the slides 2%, 2'! to open position and the slide 23 to closed position, or vice versa.

As heretofore stated, the reeds of the holder i l in the present embodiment are tuned to produce intermediate bass single tones, the reeds of holder ii are tuned to produce the lowest bass single tones, the reeds of holder iii are tuned to produce intermediate bass single and low harmony tones, the reeds of holder I? are tuned to produce intermediate bass single and intermediate harmony tones, and those of the holder l8 are tuned to produce the highest bass single and harmony tones.

Assuming the parts to be in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the apertures M, 22, 23, 24 and 25 will be open and all the reeds available, providing full accordion tones at the command of the player. When the hinged switch 29 is actuated, the apertured slides 2i; and 21 are moved to the closed position of Fig. 3, thereby cutting out the lowest bass single tones provided by reeds l5 and the intermediate bass single and low harmony or accompaniment tones provided by reeds l5, leaving available to the player the intermediate bass single tones provided by reeds I4, the intermediate bass single and intermediate harmony tones provided by reeds IT and the highest bass single and highest harmony tones provided by reeds l8.

Then, assuming the switch 29 is again actuated, the slides 25 and 2'! will be moved from the closed position of Fig. 3 to the open position of Fig. 2. Assuming the switch 64 is actuated, the slide 28 will be moved from the open position of Fig. 2 to the closed position of Fig. 3. In this position of the apertured slides, the highest bass single and highest harmony tones, provided by reeds It), will be cut out and all the other tones provided by reeds I5, I 4, l6 and II will be available to the player.

If the switch 29 is then actuated, while the parts previously moved to closed position by switch 64 are allowed to remain so, the apertured slides 26, 21 and 28 will all be in the closed positions shown in Fig. 3 and only the intermediate bass single tones provided by reeds l4 and the intermediate bass single and intermediate harmony tones of reeds I! will be available to the player.

To restore the accordion to full bass single and harmony tones, both switches 29 and 64 may be simultaneously or successively manipulated, whereupon the parts will resume the positons shown in Fig. 2.

As heretofore stated, prior art constructions provided only one switch which actuated the slides for the reeds which correspond with the reeds of the holders |5l6, but made no provision for actuating the slides which control the other reeds, for providing greater flexibility and variety in the available tones to be played. By the present invention, such flexibility and variety are doubled without alteration of the size or form of housing used in prior art constructions.

The location, at opposite ends of the slides, of the operative means which connect the switch 29 with slides 26, 21, and the switch 64 with slide 28, is a feature of construction which permits the present improvement to be made without enlarging the conventional housing Ill.

The construction of the switches 29 and 64 permits one or the other to be added to conventional accordions provided with one switch only, without substantial alteration of the existing structure.

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

1. A piano accordion comprising a bass mechanism housing, a plurality of sets of reeds in the housing, parallel slidable members for controlling the passage of air through the reeds, a switch plate hingedly connected to the housing, a switch bar, a push rod rigidly connected to the switch bar and extending through an aperture in the hinged plate, said push rod occupying a space forwardly of and within the surface area of the hinged plate, operative connections between the hinged plate and one end of a slidable member, and operative connections between the push rod and the opposite end of another slidable member.

2. A piano accordion comprising a bass mechanism housing, a plurality of sets of reeds in the housing, slidable members for controlling the passage of air through the reeds, a switch plate hingedly connected to the housing, a switch bar, a push rod rigidly connected to the switch bar and extending through an aperture in the hinged plate, said push rod occupying a space forwardly of and within the surface area of the hinged plate, and automatically reversible and non-automatically reversible operative connections between each switch and a slidable member for controlling the reeds.

3. In a piano accordion comprising a bass mechanism housing, a bellows connected to the housing, a bass mechanism keyboard, a plurality of sets of reeds in the housing and means for controlling the passage of air through said reeds, manually operable switches connected to separate reed controlling means, one of said switches comprising an elongated plate hingedly connected to the housing between the keyboard and the bellows, and another of said switches comprising a push bar rigidly connected to a push rod extending through the hinged plate, said push bar occupying a space forwardly of and within the surface area of the hinged plate.

4. In a piano accordion comprising a housing, a keyboard, a plurality of sets of reeds in the housing, means for controlling the passage of air through said reeds, a pair of manually operable switches, and operative connections between each of said switches and said reed controlling means, one of said switches comprising an elongated plate hingedly connected to the housing adjacent the keyboard, and another of said switches comprising a push bar rigidly connected to a push rod extending through the hinged plate, said push bar occupying a space forwardly of and within the surface area of the hinged plate.

CHARLES E. BARBER. 

